Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-21
FRANCE AND GERMANY.
III.
Special Correspondence of TEE EVENING STAR

LONDON, March "A.
The journey between Metz and Nancy proved TO
% the most Interesting, though not the most in
subjective, OF our whole trip along the frontier In
the nrst place one rejoices TO be out Of Metz: In
the second place, the road itself is a delightful
one, loilowing the MoSelle closely all the way,
ana the towns and villages that one passes are all
quaint and several OF them beautiful In the third,
IL Is district apparently quite unknown 20 the
general tourist. Ten miles along military road
as straight as string and as fat as a Ia BILE,
brought us TO little place called Jouy-aux-Arches
Whicn takes Its name from a large and re mark
ably preserved Roman aaueduct, which runs
over the house-tops, right throgh the village and
across the main street. There is a garden and
skittle alley there TO which the officers come out
from Metz on Sunday. and In the middle OF this
we had lunch. being waited on, In true German
fashion, by young lady who might have
served INLAND for the model OF his der
WtTthsn I0chertein, whose name was
Fischer, and who spoke French and German
equally WELL but who declared she was "fran-
cdise jttsQu 'dur os, though She did not tell the
German Officers 81. Nothing less than a trip round
wise, would satisfy the curiosity of this poyyIot
maiden as to what it must feel like 10 be spinning
along upon wire and 1ndia-rubber, and, after sew
eral false starts, the feat was safely achieved to
the mingled scandal and admiration OF the few
natives whose business permitted them to be fu
the beer-garden at that hour From Jouy-auy-
Arches for long distance there is nothing rernar
kable In any way, only q very charming undulat-
Ing country, beautiful and constantly Changing
river, ana q humorous and friendly population.
AT POnt Monsoon We came once more 10 historic
ground. The road crosses the Noseile from the
left bank TO the right over a bridge which should
rank second only TO the Ponte Vecchio I'm quaint
ness, curious almost medieval structure broad
ana strong, lying almost nat across the river on a
number OF round arches Above the town there is
q nne Old castle in ruins, and over the bridge one
rides into a triangular market place surrounded
by shops each OF which has a stone Io1oig I'm
r # Ia Of ataf Hon
gle STANDS the Hotel de France, the most Old
world nostelry ! have come across. After the
King William transferred his Headquarters from
Port Monsoon to this market place and the Hotel
de France. During the forenoon OF the 18th, in a
room shall presently decribe he was busily occu-
pied with Prince Frederick Charles Won Moltke
and General Stiehle drawing up the plans and issu,
ing the general dispositions for the coming battle
the great slaughter OF Gravelotte. During the day
the nrst and second armies were concentrated for
q combined grand attack upon the French army OF
France at four a. H. reached the heights OF Flavg.
ny at six, assumed the command In chief and az
fecGed ms army from the Saddle all the fearful and
quarters served us as bedroom. 1t Is an enor-
nous nous apartment, occupying the whole area OF the
notei On the nrst story, with diminutive French
fOur-pOst bedstead in two corners. the
rest Of the polished parquet being quite unoc.
cupied as though it were prepared for a ball,
while the walls were covered with old family por-
traits all OF much interest and many OF them ap-
parently OF considerable merit Round the
old French furniture Whose ancestors the por-
traits represented do not know. If those OF the
excellent lady who conducts the hotel, she can
boast variegated and remarkable descent. War
nOrS, priests, an archbishop or two. a score OF
gentry, both ladies and gentlenen-the former in
the shortest OF waists the latter In velvet coats OF
every cut-loOked down upon us. In fact when
we found ourselves alone, with a single candle In
the middle OF the room, the scene was precisely
that OF
TIE SECOND ACT OF "RCpDrGoRR,-
except that the pictures did not join In their SOL
emn chorus and "Step into the world once more
however welcome the company of some OF them
would certainly have been. Perhaps we had both
duly committed our daily crime, though had we
supposed that the absence OF this afforded any
probability that We should, like the Bad Baronet
be favored with the ancestral visitors in flesh and
Diood, virtue would have had an additional and
novel incentive. But We slept well, and can
strongly recommend any one who wishes for soft
nights and solid dinners in a charming, genuine
Old French town, where the name OF Cook Is never
heard, and where the 'swOrd and shield OF extor-
ton trust for lack OF enemies" TO strike the
MoSele and go down It Til he reaches Point Mons
son, then find the Hotel de France, make friends
with the landlady, and stop there.
Beyond its historical associations, however Pont
q Monsoon and the MoSelle have nothing TO do with
the immediate question OF the Franco-German
frontier, and no more, for the matter OF that has
Nancy. Still 1t Is a town Oh such a marked indi-
vtdualty and such peculiar charm that cannot
refrain from dwelling upon IL for afew minutes. The
individuality, so far can confidently analyze
it, Is due to the fact that there are NO 10 anacIre
at least no visible Ones-there and that the town
Is supported by Independent people OF moderate
means No fewer than 30 900 renters OF this class
have migrated out OF AlSace and Lorraine TO take
up their residence In Nancy since 1870 The whole
town reflects life or this kind. IL is admirably
clean, soidly and welbuilt, there appear 10 be no
SlumS or back streets, the trees In its numerous
little parks show signs OF daily attention, the peo
pie are all well dressed There are ianumerabie
excellent cafes and in the town hall Is the best
collection OF pictures, both ancient and modern
that have seen outside capital An added dig
nityand Oldwordness IS conferred upon It's respect
q mn fpp 1fraf .Ivra ana
wall, which, in wonderful preservation, make q
complete circuit OF the town. One castle gateway
stored that it cannot diner much at the present
moment from what it was In appearance In the
middle ages. My companion, Mr.. Joseph Pencil,
which dare say the readers OF Hdrpers Maya
cine will enjoy sooner or later The chief square
in the town is little less remarkable 1t is closed
at each corner by huge gatewayS OF exqusitely
wrought iron. There Is an old Hotel de Vile on
one side and guard-house on the other, the rest
OF 1t being taken up almost entirely with white
cafes; and in the middle stands huge bronze
statue to 1Stanslas e Bienfaisant" one OF the Old
Dukes OF Lorraine. Nancy is not place to leave
in twenty-four hours, as We were Obliged TO do,
but one TO spend weeks In. IL body desires to
learn the spirit OF unadulterated French provtn-
cial life and is content with modest lodgings let
him 60 to the little Commercial Hotel de la Tete
dor In the market-piace, the proprietor OF which
is cook. and for three francs he viii give dinner
which Will compare favorably with the best that
Blanchard or DeimOnicO can do.
From Nancy we turned our faces once more to the
1rOntler line, ana the NEtre III runs along
the top OF the chain OF the Nosges and is crossed
by the two or three passes through which the
Germans came in swarms In 1870, and through
which the French military authorities confidently
expect them to come again II the fortune OF war
wills il, we took the railway by Luneville as Ear
st. Die. From ST Die to st. Marie aux Mines |
there is no communication except by diligence. |
Thence the railway runs TO SchlettStadt and StraS
bourg. The frontier runs right through the mid |
train from Nancy to St. Die to avoid days jour-
ney up hill St DIE is q little town, the |
center OF the timber trade OF the |
Vosges, and is niled with Inhabitants |
every one OF whom wore short blue cloak. reach |
ing only to the waist with pointed blue hood, like
a Capuch1n monk. The terminus was surrounded |
by huge heaps OF fragrant pine planks, and for |
way line is blocked with wagons loaded high with
them. 1t was probably the sight OF a number OF |
wagons like this that set aflOat the rumOrS OF |!
great purchases OF wood for huts What the wood |
was destined for we were not able to discover, but
the Inhabitants attached no special significance |
TO the presence OF any amount OF IL. Two roads |
lead into st. Die over the vOsges One runs FOR |
miles along the top OF the hills the other travers
ing them at right angles. Through these two |
roads the two German army corps advanced with !!
such rapid1ty in 1870 that the landlord OF the |
Cafe du Globe which stands at the junction OF |
them, assured US that 30 600 men passed his front
door one.morning In Two hours. The inquire Is a |
like to throw doubts upon his veracity by any ap-
peal to the multiplication table. |
TRBUIArIoNs OF BrcYcLERs ON THE FRONTIER.
Next morning early we started up HILL and al |
though the road was fairly good one the gradient
was steep enough to make It wretchedly hard |
work. The country is picturesque. with q back |